RADIO host Nick Ferrari cut off an expert who claimed the UK “effectively force people into very dangerous journeys” across the English Channel.

The total number of migrants that have arrived in the UK since November stands at 239. Chai Patel from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants claimed the UK “effectively forces” people into making dangerous journeys. The remark sparked a furious debate with Nick Ferrari before the LBC presenter lost his temper and hung up on the guest.

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Mr Patel said: “Under the 1951 convention which we signed up to, if a person enters the country, and bare in mind talks about legal process by which you can do that, there isn’t really a legal process by which you can do that because we don’t give people a legal process, or a queue or a way of doing it.

“What we do is we effectively force people into very dangerous journeys."

The host interrupted Mr Patel, demanding to know how the UK forced people into “perilous journeys”.

Mr Patel replied: “There are some people who are genuine asylum seekers who for various reasons, and we are talking about very very few people here, who are absolutely desperate to get to the UK.

Nick Ferrari hung up on an expert during a row over migrants crossing the English Channel (Image: LBC•GETTY)

I've just read it, so I think we'll leave it there

Nick Ferrari

“Often because they have got family members here…often they have already tried to claim asylum in other countries like France, that those countries have effectively a non-functioning asylum system.

“Alp [Mehmet] suggested there was a legal way to claim asylum in the UK.

“Frankly, if you're stuck in France, there isn't any practical legal way by which you can lodge an asylum claim. They are forced into a journey across the Channel.”

The LBC host interrupted Mr Patel once again. He said: “The whole objective of the Dublin regulation is to ensure that asylum is dealt with where the person first enters the EU.”

He added: “Why don't you afford the Treaty of Dublin any respect?”

The pair rowed over the conventions of the Treaty before Ferrari hung up on his guest.

He said: “I've just read it, so I think we'll leave it there.”

The Royal Navy and RAF have been called in by the Home Secretary to handle people crossing the English Channel.

Sajid Javid described crossings over the Christmas period as a “major incident” last Friday.

On Wednesday Mr Javid urged migrants not to make the trip. He said: “You are coming from France, which is a safe country.

“In almost every case you are claiming asylum in the UK but if you were a real, genuine asylum seeker you could have done that in another safe country.”

However, Mr Javid’s words were condemned by Labour’s shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott.

She said: “It is not for Sajid Javid to claim that asylum seekers may not be genuine. He cannot know. We have a system for determining that.”